The Trouble with Time
by Katrapolis
Summary: Testing a suspect Time Turner ends with Draco flung back into his sixth year.  Faced with the choice to rectify his failures, which path will he choose?
1. Chapter 1: Gossip and Old Friends

Disclaimer: I own nothing obvs…. and for fair warning, I curse like a sailor so my characters will likely end up doing the same :/

Chapter One: Gossip and Old Friends

It had been three years since Ginny Weasley had heard the name Draco Malfoy. The war had ended, the Death Eaters sentenced, and the Malfoys, seemingly inexplicably, exonerated. Ginny gritted her teeth at the memory of Harry Potter standing in defense of that dark family. She had loved Harry for years before the trial and three years later was still happily involved with him, but that memory held no small amount of betrayal for her. Narcissa Malfoy's greatest risk in lying to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had managed to be the family's saving grace. Her lie managed to convince Harry that Lucius should not be imprisoned for killing innocent people, plotting torture and treason, or even giving a piece of Lord Voldemort's twisted soul to a small child. Draco Malfoy was only slightly better in her mind's eye simply because he had been too much of a coward to actually inflict any lasting harm. He had tormented her friends and her family throughout school, almost killed two of her brothers in backhanded attempts to kill Professor Dumbledore, but somehow Harry was able to stand by his side as well. Draco hadn't the will the kill Dumbledore, and he had managed to keep his mouth shut when his aunt Bellatrix presented him with his three childhood enemies. That was enough in Harry's mind to ensure the Malfoy's freedom.

"Something the matter?" Harry asked her quietly with a smile on his face. Ginny sighed, shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

"No, I'm just exhausted from practice today. The way we were running drills today you'd think we were the worst team in the league instead of in the top three!" she muttered, returning his smile with a small one of her own. Though it pained her to admit it, sometimes being a professional Quidditch player was less than a perfect profession.

"It's just so odd that of all people Malfoy would get called up! There's nothing mysterious in the least about that wanker," Ron exclaimed, oblivious to the small exchange between his sister and her boyfriend. Harry and Ron had been discussing the latest news from the Ministry with their respective significant others. Hermione herself had mentioned her tidbit of news involving the youngest Malfoy, although Ginny had found her tired mind too swamped in uncharitable thoughts about the malicious teenager she had known to focus on why exactly his name had been mentioned.

"What's this about Malfoy?" she asked, wrapping her hand around her pint and glancing about the other tables. The Leaky Cauldron had become a hot spot for Ministry officials to unwind after a long day, but the place was practically bursting at the seam on this particular Tuesday night.

"Honestly Gin, you should ask for a day off from training or something! They're working you girls far too hard! I was just saying how today the Unspeakables announced that Draco Malfoy was to join them in the Department of Mysteries. Quite frankly, it's the last possible place in the _world _I would want Malfoy to be," Hermione repeated, looking at her friend with concern. It was unlike Ginny to be uninterested in the last bit of gossip.

"The Unspeakables! Why on earth would they want a prat like that for? Do Malfoys even _know_ what working for a living means?" Ginny exclaimed, her tone matching her brother's. Ron nodded along with her, taking a deep sip from his drink.

"Well it's not really like he gets much say in the matter. When you're called to be an Unspeakable, that's it, you're called. There is no turning it down," Hermione replied, swirling her bottle of butterbeer.

"I feel like there's some great piece of the puzzle I'm missing here, but how do you get selected for a job you wouldn't do? Surely even Malfoy wouldn't be dumb enough to apply for a position he didn't want," Ginny reasoned, although she couldn't understand wanting to be an Unspeakable in the first place.

Unspeakables had the most undesired of professions at the Ministry. They were unable to discuss their work with anyone, it was unknown if they could even discuss it with each other come to that. No one knew what exactly they worked on, other than the broad subjects of 'love' or 'death' or 'time.' That wasn't even enough to go on to actually know what they did. A few things had slipped out over the years, such as the Time Turner Hermione had used in her third year. It was one of the only things Ginny knew was housed in the Department of Mysteries, and she was well aware that she knew much more about that department than many of the magical people strolling through Diagon Alley on any given day. Furthermore, being an Unspeakable had the unwanted effect of ruining your social life. There was no meeting up with mates to rant about a bad day at the office which meant that the part of your day you spent the most time devoted to was effectively off limits. While Unspeakables were not banned from having personal relationships, most of the witches and wizards who ended up in the department did not have very active social lives. A few had managed to marry, but those marriages often proved unstable. It was a running line of gossip when an Unspeakable did get into a relationship and a hardship on their partners. For people like Ginny and her friends, keeping in the stress and triumphs of work would have been impossible.

"It's not that you apply to work for the Department," Harry began, pausing to take a sip of his fire whiskey. "Down there somewhere they've got some sort of device or method which spits out this parchment stating the newest Unspeakable. I don't really know how they do it, but they come up with this paper to the Minister's office, and he contacts the candidate. But since Malfoy is a convicted Death Eater, they had to come to see me afterwards." Harry had risen rather quickly in the Auror Office, and was currently the assigned to oversee all the cases of the Death Eaters who had been convicted. His staff wasn't very large, as most of the convicted remained incarcerated, but for being only 21 and in charge of his own department Harry took the responsibility very seriously.

"Bloody ungrateful lot too," Ron muttered. "They were so arrogant, demanding that they be escorted to Malfoy that instant! The nerve of them I swear. Just because no one else seems to remember the Malfoys were dangerous doesn't mean they can just go waltzing up to him! There's a reason for restrictions on evil bastards like them!" Ron glowered, but took pains to glare at his drink instead of his best friend. Ron had never understood Harry's decision to speak at the trial of the Malfoy family. Next to her, Ginny felt Harry tense slightly. She took his hand in hers under the table, smiling at him as she gave it a tight squeeze. Harry relaxed and she saw him smile softly even though he kept his eyes on his drink.

"Well anyway, tomorrow I've tasked myself with getting in touch with Malfoy. I can't really trust any of my staff to not blast his face off," Harry said, sighing heavily at the end of his statement. Ron had the good grace to redden in embarrassment, knowing the comment was indirectly intended for him.

"You'll be careful, right? While Merlin knows I wouldn't be opposed to hexing the living daylights out of Malfoy, I'm not entirely sure even you would be able to overlook my trampling of the law." Ginny's eyes danced as Harry's face blossomed into a large grin and he pulled her over for a kiss.

"Honestly you two! You've been together for over three years now and still mooning about," Ron grumbled before throwing back the rest of his pint and pointedly looking at every other spot in the bar except the couple seated across from him. Harry laughed, pulling back and running his hand through his perpetually messy hair.

The conversation happily continued from relationships to sports to family. With all of the laughs and pints, Ginny quickly forgot all about Draco Malfoy and the Department of Mysteries.

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A/N: hey this is my first fic in ages, so any comments are greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: The Life of a Malfoy

Chapter Two: Life of a Malfoy

Wednesday started as it always did for Draco Malfoy. He woke around 8 and began preparing for his day. Ever since his family had been pardoned for their crimes against magical Britain, Draco had taken to working at investing what remained of the family's fortune with his father. Today would be no different. He anticipated breakfast by 9 and working with his father to further their interests in the various companies and properties they held stakes in.

In school Draco hadn't given much thought to a life outside of Hogwarts. He had fully intended to graduate and spend the rest of his life indulging his every whim. His family had been of the sort where money flowed like wine and no desire was too far out of reach. The war had changed all that. Being a Malfoy no longer had the same benefits of free clothing or jewels, and their patronage was no longer rewarded with steep discounts and beneficial favors. Coupled with the exorbitant sums his father had been all but forced to donate to the rebuilding effort, it had become apparent very quickly that if Draco was to remain with a hefty inheritance then he would have to work with his father to diversify their investments wisely and with haste.

An unintended consequence of his devotion to remaining wealthy was the decline of his social life. At one point, the Malfoys were considered to be a family of great importance in society. His mother had regularly hosted grand balls, and Draco was considered to be quite an eligible bachelor amongst his peers. While his status as a Death Eater had been a blow to his potential interactions with most of the wizarding world, the upper crust society he had been raised in had barely batted an eyelash at it. Many of their own sons and husbands had been convicted of the same offense after all. Unfortunately, in devoting so much energy into rebuilding his empire, Draco had managed to completely lose touch with the only segment of society willing to accept him. After three years of missed balls and broken engagements in favor of business talks and stock holder meetings, the invitations had all but stopped.

He bathed and dressed quickly, throwing on a sensible but unremarkable set of black robes. He hastily brushed his hair off his face, but forwent his childhood routine of styling it or slicking it back. There was no one to dress for in his life, and he was far beyond caring what his mother thought of his lapse in presentation. Draco briefly glanced in the mirror to make sure his hair wasn't a complete disaster and quickly made his way to the breakfast table.

Turning the corner, Draco entered into the breakfast room. He was greeted by a house elf he promptly ignored before nodding to his mother and taking his seat across from her. His father it appeared had already eaten and had begun their task.

"Good morning mother, has the paper been delivered yet?" he asked as his plate filled with his usual breakfast of eggs and toast. Narcissa frowned into her tea.

"Draco I do wish you would do something about your appearance. You look like a common nobody. Honestly even your clothes do nothing to speak of your importance! Have I really taught you so little?" she said, her voice clipped and to the point. Draco fought the urge to sigh and turned his attention to his food. He finished the eggs quickly, without even stopping to really taste them.

"Mother I know you worry about my dress, but I am not entering society today, I am working in Father's study with a mess of parchments and receipts. There is no time or point to put on my best robes and spend hours perfecting my hair," he replied, his voice curt and strong. This had become a daily conversation, one which he was long past tired of hearing. He knew the boy he had once been would have been shocked with the man he had grown into. Draco Malfoy as a 15 year old was obsessed with preening and practicing nasty smirks and sneers. Draco Malfoy as a 21 year old was long over do for a haircut and had a coarse growth of stubble on his face. He could still sneer and did still smirk, but when one's life revolved around numbers and owls to secure investments, he almost felt as though the pompous peacock of his youth was a different person. He had grown hard through his experiences in the war, and his shame at his cowardice was still a daily concern. While he wouldn't have been happy if the Dark Lord had been victorious, that did not mean that his inability to perform any sort of task during the conflict had left him happy. Draco was well aware that his devotion to the family coffers was less out of duty and more hiding on his part. He did not want to go into society and be forced to relive his greatest moments of shame which ironically happened to be his moments which had ensured his freedom. Eventually, he figured, his wealth would be so great that there would be no shame left to feel. How could he continue to feel so out of place in the world if he was the wealthiest person in it?

"I don't understand how you think you'll ever meet a respectable young woman being holed up with your father for weeks on end! Darling, these are the best years of your life and you're wasting them cooped up in that old study. I'm sure your father would understand if you spent an hour or two with some of your friends." This time Draco did sigh, as it was clear his mother was not willing to hear the dismissal of her topic in his voice.

"There are more important things in life than love, Mother, and while I appreciate your concern for my social life, it has fallen upon my shoulders to help Father ensure the level of luxury that you yourself are indulging in as we speak," Draco said, his voice still firm, but with a little bit of annoyance laced through it. Narcissa was anything but unaware of how precarious the family wealth had been after the war, but in the recent weeks she seemed to be more and more oblivious to the actual purpose behind her son and her husband's daily activities. She opened her mouth to respond, and he had no doubt it was to reprimand him for his insolent tone, when a house elf entered bearing the post.

"For you, Master Draco," it said, holding up to him the stack of papers. He took the items, ignoring the elf and his mother. There was the Daily Prophet, The Times, a couple small notes which he instantly identified as being societal invitations addressed to his mother, and a rather large imposing letter bearing the seal of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. When he came across the last letter his grip tightened and his face contorted into a grim frown.

"What's the matter? Who is that from?" Narcissa asked warily. She noticed instantly the change in Draco's demeanor when he came to the last letter, but was still smarting from his rather rude reply to her intrusion into his personal life. Instead of answering his mother, Draco put the rest of the mail to the side and opened the letter from the Auror Office. He read through the letter rather quickly, raising an eyebrow as he went along.

"It appears that Potter will be arriving today around nine thirty to meet with me," he replied, rereading the letter again.

"Potter? Harry Potter? What could he possibly want to speak with you about after all this time? They've searched the Manor hundreds of times, there isn't a single secret left in this family!" Narcissa spat, coming as close to slamming her teacup into its saucer as propriety would allow.

"Yes Mother, Harry Potter. And no, I haven't a clue what it is about, this is nothing more than a declaration of his visit," Draco responded, finally placing the letter on the table. He glanced towards the clock which hung over the mantle. 9:25. For once he berated himself for not taking his mother's advice. It was bad enough to have an unexpected meeting with Potter but to be so poorly dressed and prepped for the occasion was again shameful. He knew he owned Potter a great debt due to his actions at the family's trial, but allowing Potter to see him in any state less than perfect did nothing but add to his ever growing supply of shame. He growled in his throat, leaning back and running his hands through his hair. Things were just starting to turn around and now the Aurors were after him again. Rather reluctantly he stood, straightening his robes.

"Please go to the study and inform Father that I will be meeting with Potter," Draco said to his mother, though not bothering to meet her eyes. There was an unspoken atmosphere of fear in the room which his mother was adding to as time slowly ticked by. A soft pop in the room broke the atmosphere as another house elf appeared.

"Master Draco, there is a man at the gates to speak with you," it said quickly. Draco nodded at his mother before leaving the room headed for the gates. He found his face hardening into a tight mask of indifference to hide his growing anger. Any visit from an Auror was unwanted, but from Potter it was almost unbearable.

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A/N: Hey all, I'm not even sure if anyone's reading this… I know it's kind of slow going, but I'm not really interested in writing a fic where three chapters in Draco is an emotional mess declaring his love for any woman than waltz in to hold his hand. Nor am I interested in completely ignoring the canon relationship between Harry/Ginny, but I promise, I _am_ going somewhere with this!


	3. Chapter 3: The Unspeakable Position

Chapter 3: The Unspeakable Position

Draco came down the drive, spotting Potter almost instantly waiting by the closed gates. Malfoy Manor at one time had been warded in such a way that unwanted visitors would find themselves blasted away from the property. Draco felt himself smirking at the thought of Harry Potter flying across the road and into the forest. The Boy Who Flew. Those types of wards had to be removed during one of the many searches of the Manor that followed the war. Now, the wards that remained managed to keep apparition into the grounds to members of the family only and kept non family members at the gates without the violence the previous wards had caused.

As he approached the gates, he saw Potter stand a bit straighter, tightening his grip on his wand. Though Harry had said his piece at Malfoy's trial, the two were far from friends. What existed between them was a sort of grudging respect, but neither of them could easily forget the years of animosity they had fostered during their school years. Draco made a quick slashing movement towards the gates which parted , allowing Harry to enter which he did in a determined fashion. It was at this point that Draco noticed that Harry had not come alone, but was followed by another wizard.

"Potter, to what do I owe this…._pleasure_," Draco sneered. Harry's eyes narrowed, but he kept his temper.

"Malfoy I need to scan your wand and Mr. Aberny has a need to speak with you," Harry replied, indicating the other wizard with a turn of his shoulder.

"Mr. Potter you do realize that it will be forbidden to continue these types of procedures soon," Mr. Aberny stated, taking his place at Harry's side. Draco felt himself bristle when Harry had asked for his wand, and grudgingly handed it over. He hadn't been practicing any illegal spells, but searching his wand for traces of dark magic felt like an invasion of his privacy. He turned his attention to the other wizard while Harry looked over his wand.

Mr. Aberny was older, probably in his mid forties. He was about the same height as Harry, shorter than Draco, and much wider than either of them. His brown hair was littered with clumps of gray and his receding hairline did nothing to enhance his round wrinkled face. It was clear that Mr. Aberny had seen much better days.

"Excuse me, but what business do you have with me? I have pressing matters to attend to," Draco said, annoyance tingeing his words. He did not easily respect people with whom he was unacquainted and reacted poorly to new people. His mother had despaired of his manners following the war as Draco had become extremely closed off and even more poisonous in his tones than he had been before. Everyone was an enemy in his eyes and enemies would do much to make a mockery out of him. Mr. Aberny did not appear phased by his decidedly frigid reception and even gave Draco something of a grin.

"You'll find out soon enough. After Mr. Potter is down with your wand we will need to speak to you in a more private location," he replied. Draco felt his left eyebrow rise against his will. The Manor was located well out of the way of any passersby, not to mention unplottable. Draco found it hard to believe that the shabby man in front of him had anything so pressing to speak with that it required the privacy of four walls to do it. Harry completed his search of Draco's wand and handed it back to the blond with a grim look. The trio made their way back into the Manor without speaking. Draco led them to an older parlor in the front of the house.

"Please be seated," he said, waving his arm towards the various chairs in the room. He summoned a house elf and told it to keep his parents and the staff far from the room. The elf squeaked in response and scurried off. Draco knew his mother well, and she would have told as many elves to spy as possible. While she was Mistress of the manor, the elves knew very well that Draco's commands had trumped his mother's since his seventeenth birthday as heir to the household.

He closed the door and made his way to a chair across from the other two wizards. Harry spoke quickly, as if knowing Mr. Aberny wanted to start the conversation on a different subject.

"Malfoy we aren't here to search the Manor but trust me when I say that this offer in no way will exempt you from the limitations of your probation," he said. Draco clenched a fist at the reminder of his restrictions and shot Harry a nasty sneer.

"Yes Potter, I am well aware that as one of your little pets I have to play by your rules," he spat, coming as close as he dared to angering the other man. Draco knew he couldn't get away with outright insolence, but he was in no position to go against the terms of his freedom. If he was caught practicing any dark magic his wand would be snapped and he would be forced to live out his life without magic of any kind. It also meant that while he walked free, his house and person were subject to frequent searches for dark materials.

"Unfortunately Mr. Potter, the very essence of this position will require the preservation of Mr. Malfoy's privacy," Mr. Aberny said, his voice not quite threatening but firm. Draco looked quickly between the two, for the first time noticing the discord there. Whatever Mr. Aberny had to say to Draco was clearly unwelcomed given the sour look on Harry's face. Draco felt himself smirking. Anytime someone got the better of Potter was a victory in his book, and if it benefited himself as well, all the better.

"Aberny we have been over this already, Malfoy cannot be exempted from these searches no matter what employment he takes. There is no exemption for him; he is a convicted Death Eater. It is either these restrictions or Azkaban for him," Harry retorted, an angry red coming over his features.

"What employment? I have sought no position nor have I any intention of taking one," Draco drawled, looking at the two men. His confusion which Aberny had created was quickly replaced with annoyance at discovering it had something to do with a job. Malfoys did not work in the traditional sense, and Draco had no desire to be the first to break that illustrious tradition.

"I'm afraid your terms do not hold up in this case Mr. Potter. I can understand your reluctance as Mr. Malfoy is your responsibility to the wizarding world, but he cannot be subjected to the kinds of intrusions you have had with him," Aberny replied, ignoring Draco completely.

"There is no discussing this Aberny, even if you wanted me to not search Malfoy this house is also home to two other persons under probation from my department, one of which I flat out _refuse_ to allow out of these restrictions," Harry shot back, his voice raising in anger. While it was clear to the entire magical community that Narcissa Malfoy was no Death Eater, the exact opposite was true for her husband – everyone knew what Lucius Malfoy had been and what he had done. The fact that the actions of his wife and son managed to get him pardoned from Azkaban was considered one of the greatest travesties of justice in centuries.

Aberny appeared to be considering Harry's argument when Draco spoke again.

"Really I do have other engagements today. If you have somehow confused me as someone looking for a position Mr. Aberny, I must decline and assure you that I have zero intention of taking up whatever you offer me. Potter I know very well how precarious my position is in society and while I certainly do not _enjoy_ your many raids, I have never been foolish enough to not comply," he said, grinding his teeth towards the end of it. Harry appeared slightly shocked, as though he hadn't expected Draco's reaction

"You haven't heard then?" he asked, looking perplexed. Draco sneered at him.

"Heard what, Potter? I have better things to do than listen to idle gossip and chatter," he said, his drawl coming out as he stood to leave. Mr. Aberny pulled a roll of parchment from the pocket of his cloak and held it out to Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, you will want to read this."

Draco eyed the parchment. Something about it was off. It did not look any different to any other roll of parchment, but he sensed that there was something uncommon about the object being held out to him. Warily, he looked at Harry, who had a grim expression on his face. Turning his eyes to Mr. Aberny and his unsmiling face, Draco reached out and took the parchment.

The second his hand closed around the object, the room seemed to freeze. Draco found himself staring at the parchment the sitting Mr. Aberny had offered him. Harry was sitting next to Mr. Aberny frozen in his grimace. Draco felt his jaw fall open, ready to panic. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and he quickly shot back from the frozen scene before him. Aberny smiled at Draco as he stood, the parchment still in his hand. Draco quickly looked back to the frozen Potter, his eyes widening in fear.

"Do not be alarmed Mr. Malfoy, let's just say that you and I have more to discuss than I can share in front of Mr. Potter," Aberny said, a light hearted lit flowing through his words.

"What did you do?" Draco shouted, backing away until he felt the wall behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest and his blood rushing in his ears. He frantically searched his pockets for his wand, although pulling it out he still felt utterly helpless. Aberny smiled to himself, looking at the frozen scene before turning his attention back to Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy – Draco is it?" Aberny said, tipping his head towards the blond in question. Draco nodded, dumbstruck by what was going on. "My name is Norton Aberny, and I am the head of the Time Division in the Department of Mysteries. "

"What did you do?" It was all he could do to keep from shrieking like a small child, as his hands had started to quake with fear. _Pull it together you blooming idiot! You're a Malfoy for Merlin's sake stop acting like a child!_ He shook his head, trying to shake the fear out of it but to no avail.

"It's a type of spell – freezing time. Well, not exactly time so much as a moment, kind of hard to explain and you certainly don't seem to be in need of the technical answer," Aberny said, his grin growing larger at the spectacle Draco was making of himself. "I understand that in the past people called for these positions responded much how you are now but have come to embrace their new lives. Draco your name has been chosen as the newest member to the Department of Mysteries. You are to be the latest Unspeakable."

If Draco had been expecting anything, it was definitely not that. He felt his jaw drop, and while the rational part of his brain screamed again at him to pull himself together, the much larger irrational and fearful side paid no heed.

"Sometimes, there are people who are called to work in the mysteries. Most Unspeakables over the years have applied through the usual Ministry channels, filing applications, interviewing the whole lot. Occasionally, a candidate will be selected from within the Department itself. Sort of like a prophecy but without all of the secrecy and destiny aspects. It's a very rare occurrence, there hasn't been someone called in decades. But you are one of those candidates Draco." Aberny paused, taking in the terrified boy in front of him. Because to him, though Draco may have been twenty one years old, he was in many ways still a child.

"There's no need for you to look so frightened my boy! Being an Unspeakable doesn't make you synonymous with assassin, or spy or whatever else the word is on the street! You'll be working with me using different aspects of time to help catch those who have thus far evaded capture. Believe me, no one is interested in having you charge off into battle!"

Draco said nothing, though his breathing slowed and his tremors subsided. He watched in rapt attention as Aberny slowly strolled around the frozen scene, kneeling down to look at Potter. "It appears in his haste this morning Mr. Potter here has managed to knick himself shaving. Alas, even the Boy Who Lived can be bested by the razor," he said giving Draco a wry smile. "I came today with Mr. Potter to inform you of your call to duty, although I must say he was quite hacked off about it." Aberny chuckled softly to himself.

"But…" Draco began, watching Aberny to see if it was okay to proceed. Aberny smiled softly and nodded at him to continue. "I have no desire to work in the Mysteries. I work with my father to support our family, and you heard Potter, the terms of my release stipulate no dark deeds. I might not be the most in the know, but Unspeakables have a reputation," Draco finished, lacking his usual biting tone. The normal insolent and angry Draco Malfoy flared inside him, unable to gain control. _For fuck's sake why don't I just roll over and let him scratch my stomach. Some brave bastard I'm being today. _

"I understand your reluctance and Mr. Potter's as well. But there is no discussing this matter. While it seems foreign and unwelcome now, I assure you that you belong with us, working in the Mysteries. There is nothing tying you to this time and this life. Your parents will remain wealthy, your father successful in your stead, and you will help us to unravel the very mysteries and secrets that construct our world. Furthermore, you have knowledge that can help us right the great wrongs of this war. Bearing that in mind, there is also a great turmoil in you, Mr. Malfoy, and that turmoil is the reason you were selected." Aberny stood, leaning against the back of the seat he had originally been sitting in.

The room was filled with silence. Draco felt his composure coming back to himself. The words the older man had spoken were true. There was nothing to really gain by remaining at the manor. His father and mother would remain wealthy, living their life of indulgence whether he was there or not. He had no friends to separate from, no lover to leave. His work in growing the family estate was driven by the same turmoil Aberny said was his call to the Mysteries. The realization that his shame and cowardice were so well known that even a stranger like Aberny knew of it, shocked Draco back into himself.

"Great turmoil! Who do you take me for, some sort of hero?" Draco spat, fury rising in his voice. "I couldn't care less what important mission I'm supposed to be fulfilling, in case you haven't heard I'm not the bleeding saint Potter! I don't care about your pathetic struggles and I have nothing to atone for! I am free where all of my acquaintances are captured or dead so why should I bear some 'great turmoil?' This is not a position or a role I will take! My life is here with my family! There is nothing you can do to force me to work for you!" he roared.

"Deceiving yourself will never free you from your binds, Draco. You were not selected because you were happily settled with no strife or despair. You can deny your suffering to me, but the person who suffers the most from it is you. If you go willingly, the rewards are power beyond your imagination. With the Mysteries, we deal with power and magic in its most pure form. We deal with the very essence of knowledge and of life, and we ourselves grow stronger with it. This is not power like He Who Must Not be Named or Dumbledore, but power to enhance and enrich wizarding life. For one such as yourself, so interested in the wellbeing of the magical world to join the Death Eaters, one would almost expect you to jump at the chance to improve the world we and wizards live in."

Draco felt the impact of the words. A Slytherin to his core, being tempted with power and knowledge not even the Dark Lord held was tempting. His arrogant side swelled with hearing how much stronger he could become. His reasons for joining the Death Eaters in the first place had been misguided interpretations of his father's rants about pureblood supremacy. Draco had joined in the attempt to create a better world for magical people – albeit a small sliver of the population – but also to revel in the authority and power he felt the Dark Lord could give him. This opportunity as an Unspeakable spoke directly to his vices. He could become strong again, out from under Potter's watchful eye. The raids of his person and his home would be over. Maybe his great reward for working with the mysteries would finally be the power and authority to get his way as he had always desired.

Nevertheless, Aberny's silky tone range a bit false to Draco. By playing to his vanity and his ambition Aberny must have known to how ensure Draco's favor. He felt his eyes narrow on the old man, turning over the proposition in his head. On the one hand, he did stand to gain a certain level of knowledge and power that most wizards of his time would never know. He would be dealing directly with the mysteries, something which even Granger, the brightest witch of his age would never get a chance to do. He felt himself smirk at the thought of having knowledge even that mudblood would be denied. Conversely, he would be tying himself to a career with the _Ministry_, like some commoner. He was a Malfoy, and as such he did not _work _for government, but rather government worked for _him_. _It did alright, until Father played his hand and lost,_ he thought bitterly. Working for the Ministry was demeaning, but working with the Department of Mysteries… that was something else entirely. He studied Aberny, taking in the old man for a moment.

_Even if he's using me… what does he have to gain? If I work for the mysteries, then he gains an employee and some insider thought on Death Eaters, but I would still be gaining the most from this agreement. What is the benefit to him?_ _Then again… Potter wouldn't be able to barge in on my privacy anymore. I'd essentially be free from my probation_. Draco felt a wicked smirk come across his face as he eyed Harry sitting on the bench besides Aberny, still frozen.

"Potter wouldn't be able to search me anymore?" he asked, his usual drawl curling through his words.

"Essentially yes, that's why he's so irritated today" Aberny stated, indifferent at the change in Draco's attitude. "As an Unspeakable you will be unable to discuss what you learn and what you develop with those not in our department. There are even mysteries within the department which we are not allowed to discuss with each other. The idea that he could search your person or your wand would violate the very principles of the Department." Draco cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms. He considered his terms. Power that even the strongest wizard of his time lacked was intoxicating though being all but banned from talking about it seemed a bit of a waste. Nothing to peacock on about. He glanced at Aberny, noticing the older man was straightening Harry's tie. His smirk widened. Aberny had offered Draco his wildest dreams, and there was nothing that was keeping him from actually_ indulging_ in that power.

"Very well, I accept your offer," he stated, pulling his face into its usual bored façade. Aberny looked up and gave Draco a large smile.

"Excellent!" Aberny moved back to his seat, holding the parchment out to him. Draco eyed it rather suspiciously and took it in his grasp. With that Draco felt a strange lurch in his stomach. He blinked a few times, before realizing he was standing before Mr. Aberny, holding the parchment between them. He backed away slowly, cautiously looking from Harry to Aberny. He held Aberny's gaze, unable to keep his face clear from confusion. Harry glanced between the two; unaware of how he knew it, but somehow something had happened between the two of them. Draco slowly backed away from Aberny, taking his seat and still holding the parchment. Harry looked at his expectantly.

"Well aren't you going to read that?"

Draco shook himself slightly, trying to push the last few minutes conversation out of his mind. He had to get back to normal time, and Aberny's sly grin was taunting him. Draco glared at the older wizard and ignored Potter as he unrolled the parchment.

_Draco Malfoy,_

_You have been selected to join the Department of Mysteries. We expect you at 8AM Thursday August fourth. Your contract and placement will be discussed upon arrival._

_-Albert Rothansburg_

He stared at the parchment a bit longer than necessary in order to collect his thoughts before nodding to Aberny.

"I understand and accept your proposal," he stated in a firm voice. Aberny took on a Cheshire grin and clapped his hands together.

"Very well then! Mr. Malfoy I will see you tomorrow at the time specified. Mr. Potter, my business here is done," he said, preparing to push himself out of his seat. Harry threw a hand in front of him before he had the chance.

"No it is not done! Mr. Malfoy can take this employment, seeing as I am unable to stop it, but he cannot continue to live in this house with his family. They are convicted Death Eaters and as such cannot be exempted from searches and inquiries from the Auror Office," he stated, gritting his teeth. He was frustrated with repeating himself and being ignored by the youngest Malfoy and his Ministry counterpart. Aberny sighed heavily, returning his attention to Draco.

"Does your family own any unoccupied property you can reside in?"

"That is unacceptable," Harry cut in. "He can't live in property tied to the Malfoy estate because that very property is up for search. Funds from the Malfoy estate are also out of the question to pay for his accommodation as well. All of that is subject to search at any time and for any reason." Draco clenched his fists.

"You have no right to bar me from accepting employment that you know very well I cannot refuse," Draco snarled.

"I'm not barring you from the Department of Mysteries but you cannot be tied to the Malfoy estate and become an Unspeakable. It is impossible given the covert nature of your position and the probation stipulation on your family," Harry said. His voice was firm and his eyes shown with anger. Draco glowered at him. He had accepted working for the Ministry as an ordinary civil servant, but he had not expected to be forced out of the lap of luxury he had grown up in.

"Mr. Malfoy will have no problem securing housing on the economy, but you cannot keep him from his rightful share of the Malfoy estate," Aberny stated. "You're right that he cannot be given a monetary allowance from his parents, but even you cannot deny the right of a wizard to his portion of his family's fortune." Draco opened his mouth to argue that he did not receive an allowance when Harry spoke again.

"Fine. Malfoy you have 24 hours to settle your finances with your parents. When you report to the Ministry tomorrow, whatever money you have been given with be considered clear and separate from your parents' and it will be yours to do with as you please." Draco felt himself start to smirk when Harry began again. "If you finish your contract with the Ministry before your probation ends, then you will be subject to the same rules and regulations you were before the contract, so don't expect that being an Unspeakable will forever excuse you from your punishments. Furthermore, if I hear even a whisper of you getting into Dark magic I will force you into Azkaban myself, bloody Ministry protocol be damned!"

"You damn well can't control my life forever Potter, so help me –"  
>"As if you are in any position to be making demands of me!"<p>

"Gentlemen!" Aberny rose to his feet, his voice booming over the two rivals. "This is a pointless argument. Both of you are aware of the conditions of this employment and there is nothing to be gained from your arguing further." Both young men, stunned into silence, stared at the older wizard. "Mr. Malfoy, I will see you tomorrow at eight sharp. After you are finished signing paperwork, I will have someone help you to secure private housing. Mr. Potter, thank you for your help in this matter."

"Very well, I will see you tomorrow," Draco said, shaking Aberny's hand. He gave Harry a curt nod, which was returned in kind. He opened the door to the parlor and summoned a house elf to take his visitors back through the gates. As he watched them descend down the stairs to the entry hall, Draco felt himself smirk. Maybe wealth was not the only way to prove one's power.

+++++++

**A/N**: I know this was pretty long, originally I had it as two chapters but revising for like the fifth time I decided it was better as one long scene. Hope you liked it! As far as the Unspeakables go, I'm sort of floating out here in left field with what little info I have from the books and films. Anyway, I'd love any feedback you have for me! I'm not a writer, I just have a ridiculous imagination so if anything needs work please don't hesitate to comment about it! I'm aware that my dialogue probably leaves much to be desired :/


	4. Chapter 4: Checkered Pasts

Chapter Four: Checkered pasts

Ginny trudged into her apartment, throwing her bag of gear on the floor as the door slammed behind her. Another long day of drills complete with shouting coaches and angry captains had left her exhausted again. She stumbled over to the sofa, collapsing onto its plush over stuffed cushions with a groan. Her entire body was sore, even her hair was sore. No, sometimes professional Quidditch seemed more like a curse than a blessing. Heaving herself up into a sitting position, she managed to get her trainers off without wincing too much at the pain in her tight muscles.

_Maybe Hermione was right, maybe it is time for a day off_. She fell back into the sofa, her head rolling back towards the ceiling while she mentally tried to push the tiredness of her day away. She heard the fireplace flare up as someone floo'd in. Without even bothering to turn towards the hearth, she knew who it was.

"Harry be a good boyfriend and rub my feet," she whined, putting her feet up on the coffee table and wriggling her toes in her sweaty dirty socks. She heard him snort in response and felt him collapse on the sofa next to her.

"If anyone needs a relaxing foot rub after today, believe me Gin it's me. God and I had forgotten what a prat Malfoy is!" He exclaimed, letting his head fall back onto the sofa as well. Ginny glanced over at him, taking in his own weary appearance. Harry had broadened out since school had ended, but remained as lithe as always. His disheveled black hair and grown long, she would have to remind him to get it trimmed soon. She smiled to herself when she found her attention drifting to his glasses. The day after the final battle he had gone down to Diagon Alley and bought his first proper pair, convinced that now with peace they wouldn't get so damaged. Unfortunately on his Floo home they had been knocked askew and Hermione had to repair the lenses as soon as he got to the Burrow.

"Oh that's right! You had to see the bouncing ferret himself! I take it he was less than obliging?" she said, her eyes dancing with merriment. She knew as well as anyone how frustratingly arrogant and annoying Malfoy could me.

"To be honest he wasn't half as bad as I expected, though that isn't saying much. He actually seemed to take the news of his position as an Unspeakable really well. It was pretty eerie actually, like seeing the parchment magically made him agree to it," Harry responded, covering his face with his hands. "But then of course he had to be a wanker. Got into this row about how he has to move out of the manor and separate his finances from his parents." Ginny snorted curling up on her side to face her boyfriend.

"All grown up and still living off Mummy and Daddy? Just like him isn't it? Never did expect him to go out on his own, you know actually be less of a _burden_ on society." She could see Harry smile from under his hands.

"Oh he seemed proper horrified at the thought of living in a _flat_ instead of a manor – especially one that he had to afford on a Ministry official's budget! Even that wasn't too bad though, it was having to report to the boss. He seemed to think I left Malfoy get away with murder or something!"

Ginny bit her lip to keep from saying that he actually _had_ done that three years ago. "Take it the boss didn't want Malfoy to get the job?"

"It's not even that, Malfoy is magically bond to the job so there's nothing anyone could to do prevent him taking it or some bullocks like that. All this Ministry gossip, you know he's the first Unspeakable to be selected like this in fifty years? Apparently once they pick you it seems like nothing can stop them from getting you." Harry slid his hand through his hair before slipping an arm around Ginny. She snuggled in closer to him, happily breathing in his distinct Harry scent. "He's upset because Malfoy got a pretty large chunk of the family estate in taking the job. He had to split himself a piece of it because once he takes the job, we can't track his assets anymore. And believe me, it was no mere slice either." He sighed, shaking his head softly. "Enough of this, the last thing I want to do is spend my time off the clock talking about Draco bloody Malfoy! How was your day?" Harry said, kissing Ginny softly on the top of her head. She nuzzled in closer to him.

"Not any better than yesterday. Everything is sore. Even my fingernails are sore! I think Hermione was right, I'm going to call out tomorrow. Half the girls did today, so I figure tomorrow will be my day. I know we have to be ready for the next season and all, but this is just getting out of hand! We don't start the new season for another couple of months and they're already running us ragged!" Harry laughed, hearing his girlfriend's infamous Weasley temper bubble up.

"I gather tonight will be a takeaway night then?" he said, smiling at her. Ginny nodded happily, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You always know just what to say to make it all better don't you!" They laughed and he jumped off the sofa to go order the night's dinner. She heard his footsteps quietly wandering off into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts on the youngest Malfoy.

The entire family was crooked, she had known this for almost as long as she could remember. Her first introduction to the idea of purebloods was from her father's rants about the ministry and its pandering to old moneyed families like the Malfoys. While she never quite figured out _why_ there was the infamous feud, she did know that the Malfoys were notorious for living up to their less than sparkling reputation. Her first real experience with the Dark arts was because of Lucius Malfoy and his twisted diary. Ginny grimaced, pushing the memories aside. _How disgusting can someone be, to use an eleven year old girl to murder other students simply because her parents are poor and yet still purebloods?_

Years of living in the wake of the epic feud between Malfoy and Ron had introduced Ginny to the notion that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She didn't trust Malfoy as far as she could throw him, and had even agreed with Harry on his use of the sectumsempra spell he had used against Draco in her fifth year. Draco was a Death Eater – pain and torture were his instruments of fear so being subjected to them himself was fair game in her eyes. But it was Bill, her oldest brother, being attacked by Fenrir who had been set into Hogwarts by Draco that had sealed her hatred of him. Harry could try all he wanted to explain how Malfoy hadn't really been _all_ evil, but Ginny and her family would not hear of it. He was responsible for so many crimes, but none had hit home with the same kind of power.

_The fact that he can not only take any job he chooses, but in fact takes a job that requires secrecy and power is disgusting! How could anyone think he won't just use this to get another uprising going?_ She thought angrily, trying to keep her temper from blushing through her face. Harry knew that his actions in Wizemagot on behalf of the Malfoy family were a slap in the face to her family. Ginny had spent the last three years trying to forget that particular betrayal and it had gone pretty well. Unlike the other old families, the Malfoys were rarely featured in the pages of Witch Weekly or the Daily Prophet. They seemed to have become rather insular since the war, Draco especially. He was never mentioned in the press at all, and it appeared that he did not attend any social gatherings even those which his parents hosted. Now that he was an Unspeakable, working at the Ministry and probably residing somewhere in magical London, Ginny was almost positive she would see him around. The idea of Malfoy walking free on the streets was like rubbing salt in her wounds. She loved Harry dearly, and there had only been one time since they had gotten together that she had not trusted him. Unfortunately, that one time had reared its perfectly coiffed head.

"Love, what do you want from that Thai place on the corner?" Harry called, interrupting Ginny's thoughts.

"I'm coming," she replied, pulling herself off the couch. _Harry and the rest of the world might trust Malfoy, but there is no way I'll ever believe that bastard isn't danger to us all._ Idly she twirled a piece of her hair around her finger as she made her way to the kitchen. _I'll find out what you're up to Malfoy, and I'll make sure that this time you get what you deserve._

OOO

Thursday at the Ministry was like any normal day, except for the presence of one very unwelcome new employee. Following the instructions, Draco had arrived for his first day of work. His parents as expected had reacted poorly to the news. Lucius seemed ready to storm the Minister's office himself before Draco had managed to quell their anger. He told them the truth; that he had been offered a position to deal with great power and great knowledge. However reluctant, his parents had eventually conceded to his judgment before he and his father launched into how to separate their finances. Draco was given a large sum and the instructions to invest it in the markets the two had been researching. In this way, he was able to take a larger portion of the family estate to invest freely, something which the Ministry had discouraged them after the war. Malfoy power and influence was definitely based on finance (as was their support of the Dark Lord), so part of the probation on the family had included stringent monitoring of their wealth. Feeling decidedly devious for being able to play the authorities, Draco felt himself smirking a bit more than usual has he made his way down to the ninth floor.

When the elevator opened he found himself greeted by a circular room. In the middle of the room stood Aberny dressed in a worn brown muggle suit. He beckoned Draco to join him.

"Good to see you in good health Draco!" Aberny said, taking Draco's hand in his. "Today will be a fairly straightforward day, getting you settled in, starting with the basics of your Mystery." Draco blinked rapidly, trying to at once process where he was as well as what he was hearing.

"I get assigned to a specific Mystery?" he asked, trying to keep the puzzled tone out of his normally bored drawl.

"Yes of course! Not all Unspeakables get wrapped up in the espionage, most of us do research down here. Some of us are devoted to only one mystery while others of us can move between them. I myself am devoted purely to Time, part of the benefit of being the boss," Aberny said with a wink. He turned, guiding Draco with a hand on his shoulder. Draco stiffened at the touch and pulled away slightly. Aberny didn't appear to notice. He led Draco through one of the doors, although Draco had no idea how he could distinguish between them. _There's got to be some sort of marker I'm missing_, he thought to himself, glaring at the other Unspeakables who were making their way to work.

The Time Chamber was a large room with a few small doors through one Aberny led Draco. Inside it was an office with a large desk, filing cabinets and chairs. He waved the blond to a seat in front of the desk as he took his behind it.

"Firstly, there are a few things you should be aware of in our department. Mainly, there is no discussing what we do in here. For the first six months, you'll be working almost exclusively with me in order to build up your basic skills for working with time. During that time, you can discuss what you learn with any other Unspeakable without redress, but I must warn you that such action is heavily frowned upon," Aberny said, settling himself into his seat. "Everyone in here seems to think that if they discuss their work with a coworker somehow they'll get back stabbed! As if we don't work for the same cause!" Aberny chuckled at the absurdity. Draco smirked. _Clearly you were never that close with a Slytherin._

"Another thing, each of us is allowed and in fact encouraged to keep records of our research, but they are keyed to our specific department. I'll show some charms later to achieve this. Furthermore, you and I will be working specifically on a project about improving Time Turners. Just a little something for the practical side of the job, but it's important that you let me keep the notes for that." Draco's eyes narrowed on the older man suspiciously.

"Is there any particular reason why you don't want me having any records about what you need me to do?" Aberny laughed heartily again.

"Nonsense my boy! It's simply that you are new, and any notes you take could be easily confused or written incorrectly. All the information we'll be compiling will be used in order to replicate the new Time Turners we're working on. So it would make more sense to have all of the information stored in one place as opposed to two! It is a pity so many of the original ones were destroyed," Aberny said, tapping his wand on his desk. A tea set popped up, filled with service for two. He filled both cups, offering one to Draco which he gratefully accepted.

"Right, before I tell you anything more about your duties or get you to a desk, there's something very important to warn you about." Aberny paused to take a sip of his tea, not really noticing when some dribbled out and down the front of his shirt. Draco sneered at the older man whom he at once respected due to his obvious power but was still in his eyes a low class imbecile. How Aberny couldn't tell that Draco had less than noble intentions was laughable he thought to himself. No self respecting former Slytherin would ever agree to giving up their freedom, for that's basically what a job with the Unspeakables was, for the greater good. "Draco, it is absolutely imperative that for the next 6 months, you do not talk with _anyone _more than is absolutely necessary. Not your parents, not the barman handing you a pint, not anyone you bump into on the street, do you understand?" Aberny asked his tone somber and stern. Draco raised a slender eye brow, regarding his new boss.

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that being an Unspeakable was not the same as being an untouchable," he replied, not even bothering to keep the arrogance and malice out of his voice.

"Well it does when you're working with time in the beginning. It's not natural for humans to keep secrets on the level that Unspeakables need to. Part of this task is to train you on how to deal with stress and information overload on your own. You must be able to exist within yourself in order to protect the secrets we work with."

"Right I know this is the Department of Mysteries, but why this bloody cloak and dagger bit?"

Aberny sighed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his hands behind his head. "There are different aspects of this department. Even though you are intended to work with me in the Time Chamber, there is always the chance that you could end up working with our… _friends_ over in Death. They run an entirely different kind of ship over there, which requires secrecy and discretion."

"This is some kind of joke, right? I mean I've heard all the rumors about the assassins in the Ministry, but there's no way that sort of thing happens here," Draco said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No Mr. Malfoy, I most certainly am not joking," Aberny replied. He looked over Draco with a distinctly critical eye. "You never killed anyone, did you?"

"No," Draco said warily, feeling distinctly uncomfortable under the older man's stare. At once he felt annoyed that he was being suspected of murder _again_ and on the other hand, ashamed because as a Death Eater it had been expected of him and he had failed poorly.

"Very well, it is highly unlikely that you would ever be called to work in that mystery then! Now let's get you settled in."

++++

**A/N:** Hope you liked this chapter! A bit more insight into Ginny at least, eh? For the record, I'm not keen on H/G but it's necessary for this fic – for now at least… ;)


	5. Chapter 5: The Best of Intentions

Chapter 5: The Best of Intentions 

Christmas eve began like every other day for one Draco Malfoy. He blearily noted the date on the calendar as he pushed himself out of bed and staggered towards the toilet. Barely sparing a glance at his disheveled appearance, he rummaged through the cabinet next to the sink, searching through the different glass bottles.

Four months as an Unspeakable had gone by at once blindingly fast and yet painfully slow. He couldn't remember exactly how he had spent his days before his appointment – considering a life where he didn't eat drink and sleep time theory and Time Turners was all but impossible. The knowledge he was learning was incredible – dense in theory and conjecture, but light in actual practice. Aberny had promised that after the first prototype Time Turners tested positively that Draco would be able to start the actual task of _creating_ one as opposed to helping organize and plan the steps.

Living as an Unspeakable was proving to be an entirely different hurdle. Aberny's all but formal ban on socializing with coworkers had effectively ostracized Draco from his peers. At first, he had brushed off any lingering unease. After four months of it, compounded by his inability to connect with his family and remaining friends, he was starting to crack.

"Come on, I couldn't have used the last bottle already," he grumbled, scowling into the cabinet as he shuffled through the bottles for a second time. His head was pounding, each time he shifted his glance it felt like knives were being pushed through his skull. Cursing loudly, he slammed the cabinet shut, clutching the sides of the sink and squeezing his eyes shut.

His skin was almost translucent, making the dark purple circles under his eyes seem to sink in even deeper. The rumpled cotton pants he slept in hung low on his hips, his white tee shirt fitting no better. He had certainly lost weight in the months he'd been living on his own, partly due to stress, partly due to his inability to cook a proper meal. _If my mother could see me now,_ he thought with a grimace as he took in his reflection. Three days worth of stubble and white blond hair almost touching his shoulders … she would have been in a right state over it.

"Draco! Are you up yet?" a voice yelled from the living room. Barely keeping a growl back, he stalked out of the bathroom towards the fireplace where his boss's head hovered in green flames.

"Good to see you up and ready to go my boy!" Aberny said, a warm grin spreading over his face. Draco scowled, rubbing his temple.

"Is there some reason you're in my grate on a public holiday?" he snapped, though without his usual bite. It was too early and he was in too much self inflicted pain.

"Actually there is! I came in early today to tinker with that fourth Time Turner – the one I've been working on while Madge and Larry test the prototypes? Finally got it back from Fiona's barrage of charms and wards. You remember her, works over with the spooks? Anyway, I think I've just about got it to work! Hold on, let me come over there." Aberny's head disappeared quickly, before Draco had a chance to react his boss stepped through the flames in a small shower of ash. Draco's nose scrunched as he eyed the soot in dismay. Not being able to cook for oneself was coupled with an ignorance of basic cleaning charms – that soot would probably be there for weeks he thought wearily.

"Now then! Look at this!" he said, pulling a small golden object out of his robes. He held it out to Draco who gingerly plucked it out of his hand.

It was small and golden, with the rings and the hourglass. It looked like a normal Time Turner, except it was about half the size and without a loop for a chain. Aberny had been working on it since before Draco had arrived at the Ministry. He said it was his baby, this miniature piece of magic. This was his masterpiece for the wizarding world – a more covert Time Turner to be used by Unspeakables in order to prevent their capture in covert operations. Its small size made it easily concealable, and Aberny had covered it in every single cloaking ward he could find.

"I think it's finally ready for testing! I know that I've promised to let you work on a proper one when testing is done, but since it's Christmas, I figured why not test this one out in the meantime! It should give you some hands on experience to go along with all that dreadfully boring theory we've been working at," he said with a chuckle.

"I suppose that would be useful," Draco replied, irritated. It was his _day off_ and he was hung over – anything to get Aberny out of the flat was acceptable.

"Splendid! Well I'll leave you to it. Oh, you'll want to dip it in ether before you use it the first time – it charges the ions in the metal you see. All very complicated chemistry, I'll explain it when we get you making them," Aberny said, clapping Draco roughly on the shoulder. Stumbling under the force, Draco bit out a noncommittal sound. "Right then, I best be off. Be sure you cover the whole thing in ether before you touch it, yeah? And don't set it back more than an hour! Can't have you mucking about in the past! Oh, and happy Christmas!" Aberny gave a cheery smile before he stepped back into the fireplace to Floo home.

Alone in his living room, in crumpled pajamas and suffering from a blinding hangover, he had a Time Turner in his hands. A Time Turner, and no chaperone to make sure he didn't abuse it. For a second, he entertained ideas of going back to the night before and ripping that bottle of fire whiskey out of his hands before the result of all that liquor got the best of him and he grudgingly trudged back into his room to dress. Hangover solutions weren't going to magically appear in his cabinet unless he bought them.

An hour later, dressed in his warmest winter cloak and heaviest boots, he set off into Diagon Alley. The run up to the holidays had prepared him for the onslaught of Christmas shoppers and visiting school children. Glaring at the cheerful, laughing shoppers he stole down the street, looking for the turn off to Knockturn Alley. He figured it best to buy the ether before his hangover solution, knowing that as soon as the solution was in his hand he'd want to return straight home to try to catch up on the sleep his drunken body had lost.

He was halfway down the first lane when he saw it.

Deep red robes were a dead giveaway of someone who did not belong in the shadowy recesses of Knockturn Alley. People who came to this particular part of wizarding London often did not want to draw more attention than was necessary – partly because of the wares that could be found in such a place, but also because of the gruesome reputation. There were perfectly legitimate shops to be found, but the shadowy nature of the streets cast their own particular shade. Draco felt the corner of his mouth quirk – whoever was following him this time was definitely new.

It had been four months since Draco had joined the Ministry, and Ginny had seen him lurking around Diagon Alley more frequently in the last two weeks than ever before. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the opportunity to figure out what he was up to before. She pulled her hood down, obscuring her face from the cold winter breeze. She darted down the cobble stoned street, staying close to the buildings. Occasionally she would stop, appearing to inspect the items in the various store fronts, but she always kept her attention trained on a man walking just far enough ahead that she was sure he hadn't noticed her.

That morning she had woken to the first snow of the year. It had fallen heavily over the night and blanketed magical London in a special kind of wonder. She had dressed in her warmest cloak, a deep burgundy with golden clasps and her warm winter boots in order to brave the weather and the holiday shoppers. It was December twenty fourth, and she had yet to buy anything. Practice had eventually relented from the grueling days of summer, but it still occupied so much of her time that she simply hadn't been able to get down to Diagon Alley to pick up bits and bobs for her friends and family. As it happened, she was inside Flourish and Blots when she saw him, glancing around before darting down Knockturn Alley.

Ginny had immediately dropped her intended purchases and dashed out the store. This was her chance to catch Draco Malfoy in the act and she wasn't about to let it slip through her fingers.

He was dressed in a black heavy cloak and dragon hide boots. Even though his hood had also been raised, undoubtedly to hide his tell tale Malfoy hair, she could still spot him in a crowd based on his finery and aura alone. She shook her head slightly, and noticed Malfoy turning around the corner. Cursing softly under her breath, she chased after him, weaving between the shadowy witches and wizards who frequented the notoriously Dark alley. Cautiously she came up to the street he had darted down. As she peered around the corner, she saw his tall form slip into an unmarked store front. She bit her lip, wondering whether or not she should follow him.

A week earlier, she and Harry had a massive row about her, as he called it, 'obsession' with Draco Malfoy. Ginny had seen him sneaking around Diagon Alley again and was convinced of his guilt in some sort of dark deed. Harry had accused her of being more interested in what was happening in Malfoy's life than in his. The fight had ended in a stalemate – Harry unwilling to apologize for his defense of the Malfoy family three years prior and Ginny unwilling to forgive him for it.

_I wish Harry would just listen to me! He's up to something, I know he is! No decent wizard goes dashing around Knockturn Alley. How can he be an Auror and just let this happen…_ She grimaced, thinking about the pain and suffering Malfoy had undoubtedly unleashed on many families during the war. _I can't just sit here and let him get away with murder like this! I have to do something!_ Summoning as much courage as she could –perhaps with a generous dash of her stubbornness to go with it- she walked around the corner before she could think twice and approached the door Draco had disappeared through.

It was an ordinary enough looking store. In the window there were displays of various potions ingredients. Ginny noted that the particularly gruesome ones were in the front – the whole dung beetles, horned slugs and vials of salamander blood. Her face pinched in a disgusted expression, before she tore herself away from the display and marched through the door.

A soft bell chimed as she entered, and for the first time Ginny wondered what her alibi was going to be. Even though she and Malfoy had never really had extended interactions, it would be clear the moment she lowered her hood who she was, and he would immediately be on the defensive. She glanced around the store, noting that most of the other patrons had kept their hoods up as well. Nodding to herself, she wandered to the back of the store, looking for one particular person.

He was waiting at a counter at the back of the store. The store clerk approached and nodded as he asked for an item before disappearing into the back. Draco leaned heavily against the counter, his hood still drawn. Ginny noticed his gloved hands clutching rather tightly at the edge of the wooden surface. _Maybe he's having second thoughts about whatever he's planning? He never really was the sort to follow through with things,_ she thought snidely. Pretending to examine a set of vials, she kept her eyes trained on him lest he should slip away. She heard him grunt and stand straighter as the clerk returned with his item. The clerk handed him a receipt and she watched as Draco pulled a small purse from under his robes to pay his bill. His gestures were suddenly graceful and purposeful, whereas he had previously been almost uncharacteristically undone. She wondered at the sudden change as he turned and strode from the store, not hazarding a glance at any of the other patrons.

Ginny quickly replaced the vials and hurried out after him. As she burst out the door she quickly looked from left to right but found herself alone in the empty street. She let out a frustrated cry and stomped towards the main Knockturn Alley. She was halfway there when a gloved hand shot out from a narrow alley and roughly slammed her against the stone wall. She hissed in pain at the sudden contact and struggled to get free from the hand that pinned her by her neck against the wall.

"Tailing me down the street in bright red robes like a bloody imbecile?"

Ginny's eyes shot up to her captor, feeling the blood draining out of her and she stared at Draco Malfoy's cold grey eyes. He had grown into his features since school had ended, no longer so pointy and overly prominent. She could see obvious lack of sleep in him, from his dull complex to the dark moons under his eyes. His hair was longer than she had ever seen it before and the fact that he had stubble caught her attention. Even though she had never seen him so undone before, a tiny part of her thought he could possibly be considered attractive had he not been sneering at her with such hatred. Ginny felt her heart begin to beat erratically, inwardly cursing herself for being such a novice. _Of course he saw me! He's an Unspeakable for crying out loud and a shady bastard to boot!_

"Shove off Malfoy!" she snapped, pushing him off of her. Her hood fell off in the process and she felt the cold wind whip through her red curls. Draco's lips curled into a sneer.

"Well if it isn't the youngest Weasley! You shouldn't be wandering around these streets alone, it's no place for little girls to play," he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. Ginny glared at him, pushing her fear aside.

"It's only dangerous because of prats like you running around free," she snapped. Something flickered in Draco's eyes before they narrowed on her and a smirk spread about his face.

"Ah but prats like me only run about free thanks to little heroes like yours," he said in his usual drawl. "I don't know why you're following me little weasel, but I happen to know that even Potter himself has no right to do it," he stepped away from her, brushing off his cloak as if she had dirtied it.

"You're up to something Malfoy. Maybe the Ministry doesn't want to see it, but I do," Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest. Her temper was flaring inside, but screaming at Malfoy wasn't going to help her figure out what it was he was doing down this dark alley.

"Stay out of things that don't concern you, " he snapped, turning a fierce glare on her. She fought back the urge to shiver as he moved to walk out of the alley. Ginny eyed the package of under arm before quickly darting forward to grab it. Malfoy noticed her sudden movement but in his attempt to dodge her ended up awkwardly falling against the opposite wall, his parcel falling to the ground and shattering, the liquid pooling around their feet.

"What the hell is your problem!" he yelled, lunging at her to push her against the wall again. Expecting his movement, Ginny ducked to miss his grasping hands and shouldered him roughly in the stomach. He grunted in pain, reaching for his wand. She saw the movement and grabbed for his wrist. He shook her off and Ginny noticed something golden falling out of his robes, hitting the ground with a clatter. They quickly looked at each other before the both dove to pick up the item at the same time. Their fingers brushed what Ginny belatedly recognized as a Time Turner before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Returns

A/N: Hey! So I just want to say a quick to thanks to those of you who've got this story on alert! And for you who have reviewed, thank you! It's nice to hear some nice words/constructive comments!

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><p>Chapter 6: Unexpected Returns<p>

Ginny slowly came to, feeling awareness slipping into her body as though she had been asleep for ages. A soft sigh escaping her, she relished the feeling of the warm bed she was lying in before the dull ache of sleepy limbs caught up with her. She groaned, stretching out her arms before pulling the sheets up over her torso again. Contented, she curled onto her side, burrowing into her pillow.

"Miss Weasley, are you feeling any better?" a soft voice asked. Ginny frowned into the pillow, eyes still closed. That voice was familiar, but she couldn't place from where. It was soft yet authoritative, definitely female, but Ginny couldn't remember being around that voice recently. Racking her brain, she remembered suddenly the fight in the alley – Malfoy – the time turner –

She shot up, frantically looking around the room and clutching the sheets in white knuckled fists. To her left were white curtains partially pulled open away from a stone wall. Like the voice, they were eerily familiar but still unrecognized.

"Where am I?" she said shakily. She turned to the right to face the woman who had spoken before and felt herself start with shock.

"You're in the hospital wing my dear, you collapsed during the feast," Madam Pomfrey replied coming up to her beside.

"Collapsed? What are you talking about? I-I was in Diagon Alley and I –"

"Diagon Alley? Miss Weasley you're at Hogwarts, you arrived a few hours ago. Did you hit your head before you fainted? Does your head hurt?" Ginny stared at the nurse in shock.

Waking up at Hogwarts was jarring enough, but that she had been there for a few hours… How had she gotten from Knockturn Alley to northern Scotland? Anxiously, she glanced over the nurse's shoulder and saw Draco laying on the next bed over rolled over facing away from her. Without a second thought for Madam Pomfrey, she leapt out of her bed, roughly shaking the boy.

"Malfoy! Malfoy wake up!" she snapped. He grumbled something and turned further into his pillow but she wasn't deterred. "Damn it ferret wake up!" She gave him a particularly hard shove in the shoulder.

"Miss Weasley! You can't harass other patients!" the nurse admonished, grabbing Ginny none to gently by the arm and trying to guide her back to her bed. Ginny scowled, pulling her arm back and pushed Draco again.

"For fuck's sake wake up you tosser!" she shouted. He sat up, rubbing his face with his hands and glaring at her.

"What the hell do you want?" he snapped as he faced her.

Ginny felt her breath hitch in her throat when she finally stopped to look at him.

Draco Malfoy at 21 was tall, with long white blonde hair, pale skin, and defined features that suited his maturity. He certainly wasn't stocky and muscled like her brother Charlie, but he was fairly broad and filled out. But that wasn't who she was seeing. In front of her was Draco Malfoy, the slender to the point of skinny sixteen year old who was all harsh angles and perfectly trimmed hair. She felt her eyes widen and her jaw go slack as she stared at him, her inward horror mirrored on his pale, aristocratic face.

"Miss Weasley! This behavior is unacceptable!" This time when Madam Pomfrey grabbed her by the arm, Ginny could not resist. She stumbled back to her bed, unable to focus on the angry verbal lashing the nurse was giving her for distressing other patients and needing her rest.

_That… that is impossible! Time Turners don't reset your age! Why does he look so young? Oh my god does that mean I look young too? _

Hesitantly she held her hands out in front of her to look at them, still ignoring the nurse's tirade.

When she first joined the Harpies, she had been a reserve player. It basically meant that she would practice with the secondary team to learn techniques, but she would also play Chaser in mini skirmishes against the primary players so that the Beaters could get some practice aiming for players but not having to risk injuring the first string. During her third week of practice, she took a bludger straight to the wrist, snapping it in four places. The pain had been intense, and she had to have corrective surgery to reset the bone properly. It had meant a much longer recovery than the usual quick bone resetting charm, but in order to maintain her dexterity, there really was no other option then a brilliant magical surgeon and three inch scar on the back of her right hand.

At first, she had hated the mark. Her teammate had apologized profusely, and the rest of the team seemed just as shaken up about it, but Ginny had still felt like a bit of failure being injured so easily. The scar was almost laughing at her for the first month, a sign that maybe she really didn't belong on the pitch. It had taken a few more games and a couple nights out with the team before she began to realize that injuries happened sometimes and she was just as good of a player as the others. Her scar had become a symbol of truly being a part of the team.

The problem now was that the scar was gone.

Vaguely she heard Madam Pomfrey ask Draco if he was feeling alright. He mumbled something noncommittal and the nurse left to the other side of the wing. Ginny's hands began to tremble as she stared at her right hand, willing the scar to reappear.

"What did you do to me?" she whispered, her voice harsh as though she hadn't spoken in years. She turned to face Draco, and he stared straight back at her, as shocked as she felt.

"Do I – I mean do I look different too? Merlin Weasley you look like a kid again!" he said, a hint of wonder in his voice. He was sitting up as well, the hospital pajamas he was wearing crumpled and hanging loose on him. A small corner of her mind noted that he almost looked innocent.

"You look like you're sixteen," she replied, feeling more life coming back into her. Her hands dropped back into her lap and she stole a quick look to see the nurse occupied by the doors with something out in the hallway.

"What happened to us? I mean that couldn't have been a Time Turner they don't do anything like this," she said as she turned back to him. Draco stared back at her, still clearly in a state of shock.

"It couldn't have been the Time Turner – I didn't even have time to turn the damn thing, let alone activate it. Plus they don't put you back in time like this – they send your body back. And they only move you through time – not space," he said, more to himself than her.

"This – this is clearly just a bad dream, right? Maybe we're hallucinating – we were both covered in whatever potion you bought," she reasoned, shooting another look towards the nurse. She could hear voices in the hall getting louder as the nurse refused entry.

"It wasn't a potion you idiot," Draco scowled, leaning back against his pillows. "It was ether, my boss needed me to pick it up for my assignment. You know you'd make an awful spy Weasley – it's all in the details." Ginny shot him a fierce glare.

"Well excuse me for not being the Unspeakable in the room! And why the hell did you need to get ether? Isn't that sort of thing a work expense? The Ministry has access to all of those supplies for research. Unless of course you weren't doing research," she shot back.

"Please, don't act like you have any idea what my job is and what I was doing, you didn't even know what I bought let alone what it was for," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Look right now I don't care what you were doing, we just need to fix… fix this! Somehow. Being what- fifteen again?- is pretty low on experiences I wanted to redo." Ginny felt her shoulders slump, cradling her un-scarred hand in her lap. "It's Christmas Eve Malfoy, don't you want to spend it with your family?"

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him tense at the mention of his family.

"Weasley, the last thing I ever want to do is relive my sixth year. So I think we are in agreement that this needs to be fixed, _immediately_," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. She stifled a laugh at the sight of him, haughty and arrogant in his borrowed pajamas.

"Ginny! Are you alright?"

She turned towards the voice, seeing Ron rushing towards her closely followed by Harry and Hermione.

"Ron? What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling a punch in the gut at the sight of him and his friends. She had almost forgotten how gangly he had been as a teenager. His hair was definitely shaggier than Hermione had been letting him keep it in recent years, and his eyes seemed almost too big for his face, but there was no mistaking that long nose with freckles spreading across it and onto his cheeks and the wide mouth that was currently turned into a worried frown.

"Blimey Gin, what am _I_ doing here? You collapsed in the middle of the feast, I should be bloody asking you the same thing!" he exclaimed, coming up to the side of her bed. He shot a quick glare at Malfoy before blocking the other boy from her view.

"I…I don't really remember what happened. Were you there? Can you tell me what you saw?" she asked, looking at Hermione and Harry in turn. She noticed how Hermione had taken the seat on the opposite side of the bed from Ron. _That's right, he's still dating Lav-Lav_, _no wonder they look so uncomfortable_, she thought.

"Well we had all just sat down to eat, and you were saying something to Dean about the hols when you just sort of went stiff and then fell over," Hermione said, wringing her hands together. "Oh Gin it was so scary! You weren't moving at all, we couldn't wake you up or anything! Dean was so frantic, McGonagall had to escort him out of the Hall." Ginny bit her lip, trying desperately to remember the scene they were talking about. Nothing came to mind, her memories of fifth year had no instance of her collapsing at dinner. She could vaguely recall that Christmas, but not returning to the school.

She glanced at Harry, only to find him staring over Ron's shoulder.

"What did you do, Malfoy?" Harry asked, anger lacing through his words. Immediately Ron spun around, pulling out his wand.

"I don't know what you're talking about Potter," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes.

"You honestly expect us to believe that?" he demanded.

"I woke up here just like Weasley, I have no fucking clue what is going on," he replied, his eyes narrowing at Harry.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! I did not allow you in here to pester students who need their rest! If you're more interested in harassing Mr. Malfoy than visiting Miss Weasley then I think it's time for you to leave," Madam Pomfrey said, ushering Harry and Ron out from between the beds. "Out you go! You'll see Miss Weasley later tonight after I've had a chance to speak with her." She ignored their protests and shuffled them out of the Hospital Wing, Hermione quickly following at their heels.

Draco turned to Ginny as soon as he heard the door click shut.

"Listen Weasley, don't say anything about the time turner. No one can know what happened - it can screw up the whole future," he whispered quickly.

"Why wouldn't I-" Ginny was interrupted as Madam Pomfrey bustled over to them again.

"Now, am I to understand that neither of you can remember what happened this evening?"

Ginny hesitated, glancing at Draco before dumbly nodding. The nurse turned to Malfoy and gave a curt nod in response.

"I…I don't really remember very much, but I hadn't eaten since lunch time," Ginny said, awkwardly searching for some sort of excuse. "I was feeling light headed this morning." Madam Pomfrey's eyes softened and she gave Ginny a soft smile.

"Miss Weasley you'll need to be keeping better care of yourself, especially with OWLS around the corner! I'll have the elves send up a quick meal for you and I'll give you a tonic to take before sleep tonight." Ginny forced a smile in return. All she could think of was how desperately she did _not_ want to admit that any of this was really happening.

"Now Mr. Malfoy, why did _you_ collapse today?" the nurse asked, her tone hardened as she turned to face him. Draco shrugged, leaning back against the headboard.

"Don't know, I was ill over the break, guess I hadn't recovered," he said shortly, casually studying his nails.

"Well then, a bit of Pepper-Up potion for you and you can join your housemates," she said curtly before leaving for her storeroom.

"Malfoy how are we going to fix this?" Ginny asked quietly, keeping an eye on the nurse's retreating form.

"I'll figure something out, time theory is pretty much all I've been researching for the past four months. It shouldn't be too hard to apply it practically," he said. Ginny thought she heard a note of trepidation in his voice.

"I don't understand why we can't just go talk to Dumbledore! I mean if anyone could help us-"

"Weasley don't be daft! You can't be a total idiot, you do remember the last time I saw Dumbledore?" he said darkly. She stiffened at the memory.

"You can't honestly be interested in starting any kind of trouble again! Malfoy I know you're a nasty, spiteful git, but would you really stoop so low?" she growled, turning a harsh glare on the boy. He rolled his eyes at her.

"For fuck's sake Weasley. _Think!_ Right now Dumbeldore thinks I'm a full fledged Death Eater – what would he say if I told him that I'd been sent back in time? He'd think it was a trick! And bloody rightfully so! And if you were in there with me, then he'd likely suspect I'd either blackmailed you or you had turned sides."

"He wouldn't think such a thing at all! Everyone knows my family was firmly behind the Order throughout the entire war! How dare you insinuate that someone could doubt that!"

"It would look pretty damn suspicious for you to waltz into the Headmaster's office with a _Malfoy_ especially since I was under so much suspicion at the time!"

"Look, all we'd have to do is just show him a memory or two of the future and he'd know we were telling the truth, it'd be simple. Even a drop of veritaserum would work too." Draco snorted.

"Are you mad or just thick? We just got sent into the middle of the _war_, and either side would love to have the advantage of all the knowledge we have! Both sides would kill to have it, and in learning anything about the future they could easily bollocks it up! And it doesn't matter how innocent you think your future memories are – any hint of the future could disrupt everything! Hell even us talking right now is fucking something up," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"So I'm just supposed to sit back and believe that you aren't going to go running back to Daddy dearest to help You-Know-Who win? I'm not nearly that naïve, Malfoy!" She saw him grit his jaw as he turned his fiercest glare on her.

"Weasley, stop acting like you know everything there is to know about me and my family. You have my word, I have no intention of _anyone_ – my father, Dumbledore, even _the Dark Lord_ – finding out about this." Ginny felt her face flush in anger at his condescending tone.

"The word of a Death Eater? My, how comforting, considering how much _that's_ worth these days," she spat. Malfoy opened his mouth to respond but the nurse had returned with his potion and a tray of food for Ginny.

Draco shot Ginny a withering glare before downing the small glass of potion. He grimaced as his ears began to steam, before asking the nurse for his clothes. She shuffled off to get them as Ginny started her meal.

"I know you hate me –and believe me the feeling here is mutual – but right now we have to at least trust each other not to say anything about this. If word gets out, we would both be in much more trouble than even Potter is. You are going to have to find it in yourself to trust that I don't want the Dark Lord to live," Draco hissed. Madam Pomfrey returned, handing him his clothes. He shot Ginny one last pointed look before pulling the curtains around his bed shut to change.

Ginny turned over his words in her mind. She knew logically that at the end of the war the Malfoys had found themselves in the awkward position of not having fought the final battle for Voldemort, but also of having done very little to redeem themselves. In fact, the only redeeming thing the youngest Malfoy had ever done was not identifying Harry and his friends to his Aunt when the three were taken to Malfoy Manor. Harry had mentioned to her rather recently in their more heated arguments that Draco had been acting under the threat of his family's death during his sixth year and that the horrors of Voldemort's evil had finally been exposed to the boy.

A world without Voldemort had promised Malfoy one thing that a world with him could not – and that ended up being the protection of his family. She glanced up from her sandwich when Draco's curtains shuffled open again. He met her gaze and raised a single eyebrow. She gave a small nod in return. He sneered at her one last time before turning on heel and striding out of the Hospital Wing, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's advice.

She didn't have to like it, but for better or worse, Malfoy was the only person who could help her get out of this situation. She cocked her head to the side, a small smile breaking out over her face. _Ahh, but if I have to depend on him to keep this secret from Voldemort, he also has to depend on me not ratting him out to the Order. Check and mate, Mr. Malfoy – you are just as vulnerable to me as I am to you_.


End file.
